He leaned in and pinned her to the side of the car with a dark, hungry look. “We still have a deal, yes?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”

Alex followed him into his building. He didn’t wait and strode toward the elevator. Her mouth went dry, heart lodging in her throat, and the relentless pulse between her thighs turned into a bass drumbeat, so strong she ached.

Holy shit.

…

Deacon didn’t look back. He knew Alex was following.

And right now, he couldn’t look at her. He was too damned pissed off. If he looked at her now, he’d say something else he knew he’d regret later. That list seemed to be growing by the hour around her. She pushed every one of his buttons and enjoyed the hell out of every damn minute of it. She was right, of course. He was acting like a total dick, but he couldn’t rein it in, not yet, not when he’d been forced to sit there while another man all but fucked her with his eyes.

The only thing he could think about was wiping Jarrod from her mind. Making her come so hard, the only man she could think about was him.

The elevator slid open, and he stepped inside and pushed the button to hold the door while Alex caught up. Her dark eyes avoided his when she walked in, and she stood an arm’s length away. The doors slid shut, and he reached out and slid his hand under her hair, around the back of her neck, and pulled her in close. Her soft curves crushed against his side, and he almost groaned aloud when he felt her hard little nipples against his abs.

She planted her hands on his chest and tried to pull away, but he refused to let her go. He threaded his fingers deeper into her hair and massaged the back of her neck. Her breathing grew choppy, and her pulse fluttered madly under her golden skin. He thought he already knew the answer, fucking hoped he did, but still he asked, “Do you want me, Alex?”

She wouldn’t look at him, didn’t answer. She had no idea how badly he wanted to hear her say the words, how long he’d waited to hear them from her again.

He leaned in, flicked her ear with his tongue, and bit down on the delicate lobe gently. “Does the idea of my mouth on you make you wet?”

Nothing.

Oh, nothing came out of her mouth, but her body said all there was to know. Her nipples were stiff against the fabric of her dress, and he could see the way she squeezed her thighs together, the way she bit her lip. Still, her silence made him a little desperate. No, it terrified him. Made him doubt himself. Had this whole thing been a huge mistake? Had he ruined everything?

So much for taking this slow, coaxing her gently. But dammit, it was impossible when she was within touching distance. She made him insane with wanting her so bad. She made him insane, period.

He needed to hear her say it, to admit she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Even though she’d kissed him before they’d gone out, he wouldn’t take this any farther until she admitted it, until he heard her say it out loud. But he also knew if he backed down, let her go now, he’d lose her forever. He had no choice but to push harder. He tightened his hold, fisted her dark hair, and tilted her face up so he could see her eyes. Alex had loved it when he’d taken control in bed, had fucking melted in his arms. She’d also loved the filthy things he’d said to her. Both things that turned him on just as much. He wasn’t above playing dirty.

He held her gaze, refusing to let her hide from him, and rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Does that tight little body ache to feel me moving inside you again, Alex?” She made a strangled sound in the back of her throat and bit her lip harder, but still didn’t answer. He played his last card—his only option was to lay it out for her. “If the answer’s no, then the deal’s off. This is supposed to be mutually beneficial. I don’t see the point in this if the idea of fucking me disgusts you.”

Her mouth opened, just a little, and the tip of her tongue swiped across the top of his thumb as she wet her lips. His dick jerked. Jesus, he wanted to feel that mouth on him. He reached out and slammed his hand on the emergency button. The elevator jarred to a halt, and she jumped, eyes going wide. “What are you doing?”

“Answer me, Alex. I need to know.”

Her gaze darted away, then back, locked onto his. “Yes.”

It was there in her dark eyes. So much fucking heat he started burning up. “Yes, what?”

“Yes, I want you,” she rasped.

His knees went weak with relief. Fisting the fabric of her dress, he lifted it to just below her ass. “So if I slide my fingers inside your panties right now, you’ll be wet for me?” He brushed his fingers across the outside of the delicate fabric covering her and groaned. God, she was drenched, so hot.

The tips of her ears turned bright red. “Y-yes.”

He tugged her panties aside and slid a finger through her cleft, grazing her clit, and she gasped. A groan broke past his lips. “Fuck, Alex.”

He reached out and punched the button to get the elevator in motion again, fighting the urge to fuck her right then and there. But every step had to be played carefully, and that meant showing her this wasn’t all about his need for her, that she was important to him, and that she was more than just a hole to shove his dick in.

The doors slid open, and he removed his hand from between her legs. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he led her to his apartment and unlocked the door. He steered her inside and straight to his bedroom. She looked around, her gaze landing on his bed.

“Take off your clothes.”

Alex wasn’t talking, but her breathing was rapid and her fingers shook as she worked the zipper down the side of the dress. She slipped off her shoes, then let the fabric pool at her feet. Which left her in only a purple lace thong. If he hadn’t already known, it wouldn’t be hard to guess her favorite color.

Her nipples were peaked and begging for his mouth. The small pieces of metal piercing her skin blinked under the lights, and the tiny stone in her belly button, purple as well, dangled enticingly. He shrugged out of his jacket and removed his shirt, tossing them over a chair. “Do you realize how beautiful you are?”

She looked down, hair falling forward to cover her face.

“Don’t hide from me, Alex. While we’re together, I don’t want you to ever hide from me.” He dropped to his knees in front of her and ran his hands up and down her sides, resting them on her hips. Nuzzling her warm skin, he circled her navel with the tip of his tongue, then dipped into her belly button.

Gripping the sides of her thong, he dragged the delicate lace down her thighs and sucked in a breath when he finally got a look at her. She was smooth, waxed, just like he remembered. “Step out,” he rasped.

Throwing the scrap of lace aside, he ran his hands from her calves up to the curve of her thighs. “Open your legs, let me look at you. Fuck, let me taste you.” She widened her stance, her hands fisted at her sides. So damn stubborn. He spread her silky folds and ran his tongue through her slit. So good. He’d ached for this for what felt like forever.

A moan broke past her lips, and she threw out a hand for support. Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him to her. As good as this was, he wanted more. He gave her clit one last suck. “Get on the bed.”

She stumbled back until her legs hit the mattress, and she sat down. He walked on his knees and tugged her ass to the edge of the bed. Reaching back, he tagged a cushion off the chair and handed it to her. “Put this under your head. I want you to watch what I’m doing.”

Her eyes were unfocused, dark with need as she did as he asked. She wanted him. Relief thrummed though his veins.

Alex acted tough, like nothing could touch her, but it was all a front to protect herself—anything not to appear vulnerable. Which was why she loved when he took charge like this. She was afraid to ask for what she wanted, afraid it would expose too much. This way she didn’t have to think, she could just feel.